Switch for burglar alarms



Sept. 12, 1950 R. H. LEVY 2,521,858

SWITCH FOR BURGLAR ALARMS Filed April 10, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 do Z4 Sept. 12, 1950 R. H. LEVY 2,521,858

swrrcx-x FOR BURGLAR ALARMS Filed April 10, .1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 12, 1950 R. H. LEVY 2,521,353

SWITCH FOR BURGLAR ALARMS Filed April 10, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 swrron FOR BURGLAR ALARMS r I Russ Hieii-i sso, 1 1

Applicationjipril 1 o,194s, s ialNo'; 6*60,91- f -.invention .relates to. burglar alarms .for I association with slidable window sash, -e-. g., shown) such as a dry cell battery or transformer double-hung window sash. v

that housing In contains appropriate means (notfrom which is supplied electrical energy for actu- -An object or my inventiontisvtoiprovidea simating the signal 15. Usually I prefer to employ 1 1 ple,::dependab1e and easyntoiservice alarm unit a drycell battery. Carried by and-within houswhich-xeconomicallymaybe manufactured and ing ID" is an adjustable support I6 for a switch 3 v readily satisfactorily installed. armill;

:Another object ofimy invention is to improve :Support 16 is preferably formed of a dielectric theLMdependabilityand facilitate.- the serviceabil-= material, such as wood or a molded plastic, and

itymaintenance of the-alarm energizing switches maybe in the form of an elongated bar having of burglar;alarmssuitableifor use in1conjuncti0n trunn'ions l8-and-l9 which, respectively, have with slidable. window sash. r l bearings'in the fixed and removableend walls of Salient features of my-inventi0n are alarm housing It). Trunnion I9 may have fixed thereto energizing switches comprising actuating arms an e ternal adju ng button 20. Support I6 is providedwithjnovel friction .tipsu-Each of these frictionally retained at any position to which it noyel friction tips .1readi1y. may be serviced to. m y j d around the common axis of its present a multiplicity of small arcuately convex trunnions i8 and I9. contact areas-to a smooth surface,.such as a glass 7 v'L irr y upp r I6 is a shackle for the switch pane -between whichand an alarmiunitrelative arm; ISL; Such shackle may consistof a U-shaped movement'voccurs-as andncidentto the opening metal element 2|,secured to support 16 by screw of fw ndow, H

2 l a,,which has :a metal pin- 22 extending between ig the l: objgcts featfipe gand advaptagesiof its spaced-apart. arms. Pin 22 extends freely. invention will appear from thezfollowing, detailed through an over-size op nin in the wi h arm description ;whereinreference is. made tothex lTnandisuchiswitch arm roughly is r d co anyi ethree sheetsof'drawings iniwhichr 25 between the arms of the U-shaped element 2| p is t view partly implan and tl by a pairof washers 23-23. An insulatedfle'xielevation; of a first embodimentof my invene ble .1 con uctor 24. connects with switch arm 7 I1, 01 I o him i; 21 I a -Fig.: 2 is a side'view,v partlyin-,e1evationand t ically J in d w hl h p m tal element 2|. partly in section, of thesame; a .1 3 With respect to its-shackle which I have Just conveniently by being soldered or otherwise elecgigkgniganvendelgvationalyiewpfpfiig sa e; describedswitch arm I1 is capable of a certain Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram apropos oi the-equip-iiy ou t. 1 universal :movement. From such entde ieted n F g 1 toss shackle switch arm 11 extends through an open-- Fig2 5 side elevational View ofja, ing.25.;in that t end wall of housing In which is enipqqjmesqt df my jnvgnfiqn; g adjacent tosash-pane D. Opening 25 is prefer- Fig, 6; is atop plan view-thereofya l b t, not necessarily circular. Riveted or Fig. '7 is an end elevationalnviewthereof; r hQI'W SQiattached to the outer end of switch Fig. 8 is a side view, partly in elevation and arm? 11 is a U-shaped discs-carrier 26. 1 partly in section, of. a third embodiment of my Between, the spaced-apart arms of disc-carrier invention; and g I v a y ie te dflan n .ZIwhereon is disposed a D Fig. 9 is an end elevational view thereof, p iliy f; axial. similar discs 28-28. Discs {similar characters of reierencereier to similar "#7 8 a e rmed. of rel v y f rubber or partslthroughout thevseveral views. ke,, $ld ngfma a ,.andeach such disc p In the drawings. wherein the several vvembodirably possesses a narrow continuous peripheral '1 ments of my invention are depicted as appiiedto s urface which is space fr m h orr p n double-hung window.sash, A,indicates:theupper rface Oie hLContisuous disc- The relation of raileiaiower sash having a pane B, a d. Cindieme -Z84 to each other. n to carrier cates the lower rail oiwan upper sash having a r I andpin .21, is such that the discs are frictionally paneD; I

heldagainst turning on their common axis ex- In the first embodiment of myinvention which sdcept when being, serviced as hereinafter exis depicted in Figs. 1 te l inclusive, Ill indicates blamed: 1 is v a metal housing provided with attaching ears Formed. in the removable end closure 14 of the Il -ii whereby it is adjustablyusecured onasash housin -.110; and desirably located above button a rai1;-;A':1with screws I2l2 extending through 20,%.-is-:asight-aperture 29. Carried by end cloelongated-slots l3l3. Housing in desirably is sure. 4'imay bea master switch 30.

providedwitha removable lend closure 14;: In Fig.4 is adiagrammatically illustrated one 7 Carried by: and with housing l0, e. g;, by being i of several equivalent circuit'arra'ngements satis mountedon its top, is a signaling/device,- prefa factonyfor my pu p h spec arrangeerably an audible signaling, device, which suitably ment shown, the audible alarm l5 has one side may bean-electric, bell l5. Itomay be -assunied to thereof grounded to housing In and its other side connected with one of the poles of a dry cell battery, The other pole of the battery connects,

through master switch 30, with switch arm [1.

Assuming master switch 30 to be open, the hereinbefore described burglar alarm isi set: by so adjusting the switch arm I! that it -lies out-of electrical contact with the margin or margins of opening 25 while the several relatively narrow spaced-apart peripheries of the yielding discs 28-28 are presented to and bear against the inner surface of pane D. Such adjustment of am H readily may be efiected by manipulating button 20 while peering through aperturefi 'toobserve the relationship between arm I! and thean-iargln or margins of opening 25, Master switch 30 is now closed.

mains closed any substantial relative movement between the two sash-,. or any substantial relative movement between the pane D and; the housing Io ven though such last-mentioned relative movement does not result from movement;be=. tween thetwo sash, willresultin the switch arm hereafter,

when the huh-sis to be set, the switch arm is moved-to "a substantially horizontal position in which the peripheries of the several discs or grommetepentions 46 beanaga'inst itlie adJacent'surf ece .oi, thepane D. s v

Thereafter any substantial ppening movement of either sash withirespect to the other Will-1isultvinithe engagement of the 'studsN-Mtby blades 46% -546 of the switch arm, and "consequeht contacting the edge of thehole and thereby mpleti mavi c i of; th -audi e si nal n device l5; The sensitivityofgthe equipment int its response to relatiyemovements between the paneD and the housing -I fl whether those relative movements be vertical,;-horizontal,- or between the vertical and the horizc ntal, depends upon the relative sizes of the sWitch arm ll; and the open ing 25. By giving the openings a 'dia'xneter only slightly greater than the diameters of theswitbh arm ll, the alarm canvbe made so sensitive that it will respond to moderate window rattling caused i 7 by wind storms. Somepedplevdesire an alarm which-is that sensitive-.4 :By making :thedi'am'eter of "opening 25 substantially greater thantlie diameteiy-ofswitch arm .li'l, -the ei uipmer'itimay-be rendered less sensitive. -When itris desired to efiectrelative movement between the two sash without sounding an-.alarm-,the*master switch is thrown to its .openzpositioniiii That second embodiment Dim invention whi'cli= is exhibited in Figs. 5:130 liiboth' inclusive com: prises a suitable housing i40 provided with mounting searss 41c suitably slotted lat 4l a so that l the housing adjustably maybe mblinted atop' the-i'ail is actuated by electrical 'ener'gy supplied b 'zg; drysicellz battery or-.=electr-ica.l trausrtrmer '(hbt shown) contained by'thehousihg 40; It may assumed that the faudible sig naling newscasts included in .asini'ple signal circuit which is closed to actuate the alarm whenever electrical connection is established betweenthe twoblade-feeeiv 1 ing switch contact Stud's44. '-4l=-- Whih project outwardly from that end wall or housing 'l l-iivhicli' facesrthepanes-D. 2 r 7 At 45-45 is depicteda plurality of' cookie-l discs carried at the free end o'f-asv'vitch am etmtns= ing a pair of blades 46;-'-46: pivoted to a pair oi 1 blade mounting studs 411-41 which lie above-the blade-receiving switch contact studs "44'-44 which to the inner end of a contact operating lever I have previously mentioned. The discs 45 4i which in thisinstance are provided byblacingtW'b similar soft rubber g-rommetslruponametal :pm i 48 Vqonnectingthe;SWitChib1adeS'46%4G,- present 1 very narrow substantiallyedges-like -espabedei apart peripheral surfaces. The relationship of the soft rubber grommets to the switch blades '46 and the pin 48 is such that the-grommets turn on the pin 48 only when they are-serviced asherein I -steee aie d sounding of the audiblesalai'mh .v

Frequently the. burglar alarm will "be eetg' as hereinbe'fore explained, with "one; or o! the sash. :in partially opened" position A salient an: vantageidi rthezhurglan'alai'inm'ow under conslderation is that its warningistgnalrchnnot belavcidfl by first movingAa-partialiy ropen sash to fully closed position and then-opening: one "of the sash Insuch aniinstance, the moving to its c'losed'posl tion of a the partially-i open sash may 'sbmewhat elevate theiseveralldi'ses 45 but i't l'aves 1 bearing against-theiimer sin-race orp'ane'm reiatiy to white ithethiates us -savor the-switch ermto alarm -circuit feontact with studs 4M4 upon any subsequent opening movement or-either sash. l ltsis rdesi-rable that th' "else-carrying "end of the switch urim. cbifipi lilrlgthei muses time 1 besufiicientlyiheavy that-"such and tr thesw 'iteh armsinoves' nownwar'dly whenever it is-hot strained iagainst such inevement. 1 Normally the weight bfs the switch blbdes 1M3; the pin 48- and the discs 45-45 will be suflicient to ensul thlsrfictioh .ctutheswitenurm However, if in afi'y ,instance such should mit be -thecase, switch arm should fbe a'dditiolielly magma statsmeet discL- carryin'genflu 1 "the; i r I The third embodim'es'it 'bf ears 5| herewitht saygse secured-to theses}; rail A withscmwsQn -M; l married-With the inou'ilng fl, e; g up n the top ther'eofy-ie ah auiiililesignal tleviee which Joe in the form of an electric bell 5 3. "the so contaifis afdi'y heir-setters tr transformer (not shown): fi erfi vthich is surmise electrical energy to energih'e an alarm awsuitesentment state m n The: Tree eha 'otssnh summ t! is 'cohven tion'allyhlshaped forvecopeifiti'in with aeo tact operating roller: noner ss is pivoted-at -1- which.- hasiits iful'crum zat sa am! has its acerating'fil mlill projecting dutmdly frm th b? Secured upon theiiree'iehd: of thefarm M lsa- I U-shaped-idiscecarrier 1 32 between? thei spa'e'ed apB1lt .-W0 f whichrextendsia -pin :.fl whereefl I a pluralityioti-riiscs fihbf 'soitirubbenbr lilie wield-- a ing; are, ibbaxlt tlly these 64, like; the mrresiwming l:eiemelits o H vionslysuescribed burglhralarme; being of-aqua- "l diameterssanfi Mew igm as pn s w fi il i luqu lgi eu s ei al surfaces a n the dis e Prev ew! in min 1 1.01 tenant-s w. 1.. p n... 3 nd e a i n iiie. sremm i to han 1 wh q t e a s arr ed iss chth tth sw e sts idmt urn pon-the rinifii.s c ptwhen. th t b n s r eda here nafter ex la ned. l wilrbe o' ditna the n at a ns an. auxiliar'ys'pring blade65whi i appropriate 1y shaped for cooperation with the roller 56 of. 15116 t r- Th ssp ie blad We du m in the sensethat its movement in np way affects the s gna circuit.

f W enthe alarm of is to be rendered inoperative, the ,operatir garm 6010f the switch lever is moved to the upper one of it's dotted positions of LFi g 8 and is retained by reason of the cooperation of switchlever roller.

56 withthe adjacent'e'nd of spring,blad e 65.. In

these circumstances, the contacts 54 and 55 are. separated to render the" signal circuit inopera-,

ti've."

Theburglar alarmfiustdeseribjed 's "set by moving the operating arm 60 ortheswitch lever to its full line pgsition of Fig. 8. With the arm 60 in such position, the signal circuit contacts 54 and 55 remain open. However, any subsequent i ssemia id? substantial opening movement of either sash with part by which the switch is carried and the smooth surface against which its ti bears. Even though the pressure of such a tip against a pane or other smooth surface is quite small, the yielding relatively narrowarcuately convex surfaces of the tip severally assume minute flats which cling to the contacted smooth surface with dependable tenacity for long periods of time. However, the minute flats of the tips eventually become more or less fixed and less tenacious. To guard against this, it is advisable occasionally to service my burglar alarms by rotating the discs of the switch arm tips thereof to vary the peripheral portions of the discs which bear against the pane or other smooth surface. The friction with which the discs of each tip normally are held against rotation relative to their associated switch arm need not and should not be so great as to render this servicing other than easy of accomplishment.

The smooth surface against which the switch arm tip bears may be a frame-carried surface rather than a sash-carried'surface.

Each of the pins 21, 48 and 63 may be formed in one piece, or it may consist of two telescoping separable parts threaded one into the other.

Having thus illustrated and described three practical embodiments of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A burglar alarm comprising a unit supportable by the upper rail of the lower one of a pair of double hung window sash, said unit comprismovement. between the sash and the aforesaid pane, an adjustablesupport for saidarm located witliin,said..housing,.and a universal connection betweensaid support and said arm;v

.2. Aburglar .alarm' as specified in claim 1 where-, in; the, wall. of the housing lying opposite :the ho using;.;wall; in which; is ,formedtheppening. throughtwhich. the arm extends presents means for.,adjusting saidv supportand a. apeep hole through which may be observed the relationship of; .said-, arm*to..the metal bounding the opening through whichthe arm extends. v.

-.3.;A burglar.alarm comprising a unit supportable abyia; sliding window sash, said'unit comprising ahousing, an .opening in a-housing wall which isito; face a surface with respect towhichthe sash: is relatively movable tov open position, metal bounding said opening, an armprojecting from. said housing through said openinga relativelysoftdeformable tip, carried by said arm and en-= gaging with. the aforesaid surface," by virtue of which saidzarmis caused'to engage said boundary metahand make" electrical contact therewith as thellconsequence "of' relative movement between thesash and the aforesaid surface, and an adjustable support for said arm locatedwithin said housing, and a universal connection betweensaid support andsaid-arm.

ran-burglar alarm comprising a unit supportable by a sliding-'windoW 'sashpmechanismcomprised by said .unit and adapted when actuated to cause the functioning =of-an alarm,-- a" pivotedactuating arm'forming a partof'said mechanismsaid arm having a set position from which it is movable to a position where it actuates said mechanism, and a tip member, rotatably frictionally carried by said arm and engageable with a plane surface with respect to which the sash is movable, by virtue of which said arm is held in said set position by said surface and is positively moved to the position where it actuates said mechanism as the consequence of opening movement of the sash, said tip member having a plurality of coaxial axially spaced-apart arcuately convex ridges that are formed of comparatively soft and somewhat deformable material and which simultaneously and substantially tangentially contact the aforementioned plane surface when the arm is being held in set position and while it is being positively moved to alarm-actuating position as aforesaid.

5. A burglar alarm comprising a unit supportable bya sliding window sash, mechanism comprised by said unit and adapted when actuated to cause the functioning of an alarm, a pivoted actuating arm forming a part of said mechanism, said arm having a set position from which it is movable to a position where it actuates said mechanism, and a tip member, carried by said arm and when the arm is in said set position being engageable with a plane surface with respect to which the sash is movable, by virtue of which said arm is positively moved to the position where it actuates said mechanism as the consequence of opening movement of the sash, said tip member having an arcuately convex porgains:

t'iomthatis iffimid uf compnrativelymt deformablematerialaml wniehsubctantiauy tangentiwllr contacts the aforementioned plime surface when the mom is :bein held insetpositionand while it is being positively movedto the positionwhere it=actuates said mechanism as aforesaim -satd tip .memb'er turnabile to several positions, relatively to the arm, whereat said tip 'member is .fri'ctionally retained to present difierent areos of :its .arcuate convex portion to the plane surface withwhich'suchtip cooperates. 1 7

ii. A "burglar-alarm comprising a unit supportable by a sliding window sazsnmechanism com-- prised v'bysuch unit and iddSlfllBdLWhBh actuated to-cazuse the functioning "of an a1arm,1'a pivoted actuating arm forminga partof saidrmechanism,

said arm. .having a set position ifrom which it is movable to a position where .it actuates said mechanism, and a tip .mem'ber, carried by said am and sen'gas 'able with a plane surface with respect to which the :sash movable, by virtue OfWhiOh said armis'heldin said .setxp'osition 'by saidsurface and is positively moved to the posithan where it actuates said mechanism as the consequence of opening movement of the sash, said tipmember comprising a plurality of juxtaposed co'axial discs of equal diameters which present axially spaced-apart peripheral ridges that are formed of comparatively soft and some- What, deformable material and which are trictionally held against notary movementrelative totheiarm and simultaneously contact thetaforementioned lplane surface. when the arm is being held in set jposition and while it is being positivelymoved to the position where itactuates said mechanism as, aforesaid, said discs being forcibly rotatable relative to the arm so that different arcuate portions of said peripheral ridges may bcpresented to said plane, surface. 7. A burglar al'armoomprising a unit support able by a sliding window sash, mechanism com prised-by such unit and adaptedwhen actuated to nsure the mentioning of an alarm, a actuating arm 'lorminga part0! said-mechanism said am having a set "positi'onirom which it is movable to -e position where it actuates mechanism; and a tip "member, earri'edbysaid arm :end'en'gageable with a 'plane surface with respect to which the sash is movable, :by'virture oi -which saiderm'is held in said set-position lay said surfazce and is "positively moved toa posi than where it actuates said mechanism as the consequence of "opening'movement oi "the said tip --member-comprising a disc presenting a periphery that is formed of soft and somewhat deformable material, which 'is frictionally held against'rotery movementrelative to the arm and substantially tangentially contacts the "atore mentioned plane surface when the arm is being held'in set position and while it is beingipos'it-ively'movcd to aposition where it actuates said mech-anian as aforesaid, said disc being iorclb'w rotatable relattve to 'the armso that different arcuate portions of its periphery may be slanted-to said plane surface.

RUSSELL n. 1

' REFERENCES ormn The "fol-lowing references are of recordin'the file of this patent: I

pre-

loney Nov. 23,1943 

